Circular tray



Feb; 13, 1951 LYON 2,541,081

CIRCULAR TRAY Filed Dec. 12, 1947 17251 7 ZZZ" GEORGE ALBERT LYON Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

which lends itself to economical manufacture on,

a large production basis from very thin metallic sheet, and which by it configuration is provided with sufficient reinforcing to prevent it from col-- lapsing or buckling in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a one-piece tray adapted for use as an ash tray or the like, comprising a metallic stamping and in which the normal bottom of the tray is supported in spaced relation to the surface on which the tray is disposed.

In accordance with the general features of this invention there is provided an article of manufacture in the form of a one-piece tray comprising a dished metallic cup-shaped stamping, including side and bottom walls, the junction of said walls being extended downwardly and outwardly into an inclined double thickness annular skirt for supporting the bottom wall away from the surface on which the tray rests.

Another feature of the invention relates to the reinforcing of the tray by the turning of its uppermost edge into a rolled edge spaced from the supporting skirt on the tray.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof and in which Figure l is a plan view of a tray embracing the features of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the tray shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through a disk of sheet metal from which my novel tray can be stamped.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through a cup made from the blank shown in Figure 4, and showing the line on which the upper edge of the cup may be trimmed after the stamping operation; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through the cup. showing how the bottom and side walls are extended downwardly at their junction into an inclined Supporting skirt and also showing by dotted lines how the upper edge of the tray can be turned outwardly into a rolled edge.

As shown on the drawings:

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the completed device, and have shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, somewhat diagrammatically, how the tray can be fabricated from a single circular disk of thin metallic sheet.

The tray of my invention includes an annular side wall l0, a bottom wall II and an out wardly inclined double thickness skirt 12 at the junction of these two walls. The upper edge of the wall I0 is turned outwardly into a reinforcing rolled edge :3. It will be noted from Figure 3 that thebottom wall H is spaced from the bottommost edge Id of the tray, which comprises the lowermost'extremity of the inclined skirt [2. This feature is advantageous since when the device is made of relatively thin sheet metal it is desirable to maintain the bottom away from the supporting surface so that heat present in the use of the device will not be directly transferred to the supporting surface.

Although the device is made of very thin sheet metal, it is adequately reinforced at the edge I3 and at the skirt [2 thereby resisting distortion or buckling of the device in the event it is dropped or otherwise thrown around. It will be observed that the upper rolled reinforcing edge 13 has an outside peripheral diameter no greater than the peripheral diameter of the lower edge of the skirt so that the skirt serves as a protective buffer for the rolled edge.

In the fabrication of this article I have found it desirable to make it from very thin gauge sheet metal and have found that excellent results may be obtained by making it from stainless steel or the like. In fact, it is contemplated that this device may be made from material left over from the fabrication of other products. For example, in the manufacture of ornamental annular wheel trim rings, the center part of the blank is usually waste stock. It is from such a center or other scrap material that a tray of this character can be economically manufactured.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated a thin metallic circular blank 15 from which a cup It may be stamped (Fig. 5). After the stamping operation the upper edge may be trimmed as at I! so as to remove the irregular edge incident to the blanking operation.

Subsequently, as shown in Figure 16, the bottom and side walls of the cup it may be drawn downwardly and outwardly, by a suitable press operation, into the double thickness flange I2,

previously described. The upper edge of the cup I6 may then be turned outwardly into a rolled edge l3, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6.

From the foregoing it is clear that I have provided a very simple, yet strong, ash tray whichcan be made from a single sheet or blank of material. When made from stainless steel or other highly polished metal a very pleasing and attractive device is provided. It is of zcourse clear that otherash tray appurtenances (not shown) such, 'for example, as a cigar or a cigarette support, and a match box support, can be applied to the tray in the usual manner such as by the conventional welding and riveting processes. However, the tray as shown is a complete article of manufacture and may be used either as an ash tray: or :as astray-for containing receptacles of fluid or the like, such, for example, as iced or hot drinks It may also-be used as a food tray.

. I claim as my invention:

As an article of manufacture; a shallow onepiece tray useful asanxash tray comprising a thin metallic one-piece cup shaped "circular stamping provided at its bottom with an integral annular double thickness skirt inclined outwardly from the stamping to define an annular supporting edge for the tray, said stamping having its uppermost edge turned outwardly into a reinforcing rolled edge having an outside peripheral diameter no greater than the peripheral diameter of the lower edge of the skirt so that the skirt serves as a protective buffer for the rolled edge. t

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

REFERENCES CITED (The following references are of record in the "file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2103751 Chaumont Dec. 10, 1878 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country I Date 6,486 Great Britain ..-v "1887 

